District Dynamos -- You Are the Library

The District Dynamos is a network of community driven oversight groups currently focusing on DC's public library system.

King Memorial Library Photo by Rob Goodspeed

The neglect of the DC's library system over decades has led to a serious erosion of the physical plant and library services offered to the residents of Washington, DC.

In recent years, the DC Public Library (DCPL) system has been uplifted by the DC City Council and Mayor with an increase in funding for capital projects at the central King Memorial Library and the surrounding neighborhood branch libraries. The new funding has been directed at fixing immediate repairs at the central library and conducting more comprehensive library transformations among several branch libraries.

Currently, the Chief Librarian and Board of Library Trustees (BoLT) are directly overseeing capital library projects with subsequent oversight by city leadership who have given them the funding, DC's City Council and Mayor.

Given how important library projects are to the vitality of any neighborhood, there has been disappointment among community leaders and residents where library projects are occurring -- there are expectations of more thorough consultation with the public about how the new infusion of much needed library funding is spent.

DC residents have to be more vocal to see a bigger oversight role materialize... and the District Dynamos seek to involve District residents in the transformation of our library system in a more meaningful and proactive way.

Like Frederick Douglass explained one-hundred and fifty years ago,

"Power concedes nothing
without a demand."

LATEST INFO

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Google DC Public Library News Wire

Listen to what will happen when our library leadership does not
have any comprehensive service strategy or spending plans in order
before building large and expensive new "designer" libraries ...
... from the lips of Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper.

MSNBC library reports

• Neighborhood Library Dynamos

  Neighborhood library dynamos forming to protect the public interest in the DC Public library.

• Modern Day Library Issues

  Information, opinion, and links about issues facing libraries gathered by Library Renaissance Project in consideration of the transformation and renewal of the DC Public Library.

• Library Renaissance Press Releases

  Archive of the LRP press releases.

• Library Renaissance Reports

  Reports about the DC Public Library system from the perspective of the Library Renaissance Project.

• Volunteer with the Library Dynamos
• Contact the Library Renaissance Project
• Tommy Wells to Address MLK Library Rally This Sunday Oct 2

  A Rally will take place at the MLK Library on Sunday October 2 at 12:30 PM to protest the elimination of Sunday hours at the central library – the only District library open on Sundays.